Kristin Cavallari Tells Us How Cooking is Part of Her Balancing Act

You may have first heard of Kristin Cavallari on the mid-2000s MTV reality season The Hills. Or football fans may know her as the wife of Chicago Bears quarterback, Jay Cutler. But this mom of three is also active in her kitchen, and healthful eating is an important part of her balancing act.

She recently wrote Balancing in Heels, which talks about her efforts to foster a healthy, balanced lifestyle and how she keeps her family, her fitness, and her businesses in check. "This is a lifestyle book that represents every area of my life and how I balance it all. I've also included about 20 recipes since I love to cook," she says. We spoke with Cavallari about some of her recent kitchen exploits.

Cooking Light: How does healthful eating fit into your own balancing act?Kristin Cavallari: I’m a huge health nut, but I also love food and love to eat. I wanted people to see that you can be both and that being healthy doesn't mean boring.

CL: How has healthful eating evolved for you as your family has grown?KC: In my early 20s, all I did was look at calories and I ate a ton of processed "food." Now the only thing I look at is the ingredient list. When I became pregnant with my first son, I decided to eat real food with as little processing as possible. Since then, I've felt the best I ever have, and I haven't had to diet like I used to.

CL: What are your go-to dishes these days?KC: I’m obsessed with slow cooker lasagna because it's so easy. All you have to do is brown your meat before throwing everything in the slow cooker. I cook it for 8 hours on low. I love anything that you can throw together in the morning, let cook all day, and essentially forget about it until dinner time.

CL: Your children are still pretty young for the kitchen, but how do you plan to get them involved in healthy eating?KC: Both the boys actually love helping as much as possible. I put them on stools and they do whatever I will let them: mash bananas for banana bread, pour ingredients into bowls from measuring cups, or peel different fruit. My oldest, Camden, really enjoys being in the kitchen, and my middle son, Jaxon, just does whatever Camden does.

CL: What's been your biggest cooking mistake?KC: The first year I hosted Thanksgiving I completely forgot about the turkey and let it cook an extra 2 hours. Needless to say, it was incredibly dry and not very good!

CL: What foods or drinks help you feel indulgent?KC: I have the biggest sweet tooth. I will pretty much eat any dessert. I also love pasta. Pasta and a glass of wine, and I am a happy girl.